Mountain Pool Plunge
Location: Angel Falls, California Date: August 26, 1991 Story On August 26, 1991, David Salinas and Jon Kubar hiked to California's Angel Falls, a series of waterfalls that flow over rock formations and empty into many different pools. The twenty-three-year-olds planned to spend the afternoon swimming and sliding on the falls. They didn't see the posted Danger sign warning of death to those who have attempted to slide down the rock formations into the waterholes below. Jay Rassi and his sons, ten-year-old Brandon and eight-year-old Adam, happened to be hiking down the mountain trail across the canyon from David and Jon. Jay's sons stopped to watch the young men. Jon was poised to slide down a cascading stream on the slick rock into a pool below. "Let's go," said Jay to Brandon and Adam. Jay, who had grown up in the area and was familiar with the treacherous falls, did not want his sons to see what was about to happen. From his vintage point, Jay could tell that Jon was not going to land where he thought he would, in a pool a short distance below. Rather, he was going to slide straight down the steep rock face and possibly land in a lower rock-filled pool. Jay resumed hiking down the trail, but quickly noticed his sons were not behind him. He backtracked to Adam and Brandon, who were still watching the men. He was just in time to see Jon start to slide, and Jon did exactly what Jay predicted. He missed the upper pools and fell--out of sight. David had watched Jon take off, but he couldn't see when his friend had landed. Jay, scrambling across the rocks, yelled to David that Jon had fallen as he climbed down to look for him. David, concerned about finding Jon, slid down the same path his friend had taken. He landed in the pool where Jon was--trapped underwater--but not without hurting his leg on the wall of rock on his way down. David reached around in the murky water and found Jon's head wedged between two rocks. After three tries, David yanked Jon free and pulled his blue, lifeless body to the surface. Jay thought he was moving a dead body as he helped lay Jon on the rock. David didn't know correct CPR procedure, but he knew he had to help his friend. He reached into his memory and called up some CPR training he'd once taken in high school. After a minute, Jon started breathing and regained consciousness. David didn't realize how badly he'd injured his leg until he tried to stand up and couldn't. He would have to stay with Jon while Jay and his sons hiked out to summon help. As soon as Jay got to his van, he encountered a Mariposa Park Ranger, who relayed word to Madera County Sheriff's Department dispatch. Rescuers from the Madera County Fire Department and Sierra Ambulance headed to the scene. They arrived at the top of the falls within twenty minutes and evacuated Jon and David from the gorge. While hospitalized, Jon was treated for head lacerations and a concussion, and had water pumped out of his lungs. David underwent reconstructive surgery to repair a shattered knee and multiple fractures to his left leg. Jon is alive today, thanks to David and the one CPR class he took in high school, which made the difference in his friend's survival. After the accident, David became certified in CPR because, as he says, "You never know when you're going to need it." "David is an angel that was sent there," says Jon's father. "To totally forsake his own life to save someone else, he's a true friend." Jon is also appreciative for David's heroic efforts. "I've slowed down a little," says Jon. "The accident has made me appreciate the simpler things in life. And I can't say enough about David. I know he's gone through some pain and probably still does, but I'm still around and he's responsible for that." Category:1991 Category:California Category:Falls Category:Drownings